Pollo en Fricasé (Chicken Fricassee)

Marrying a Puerto Rican was the best decision for my taste buds...

I've previously shared that I married a Puerto Rican "pan de Dios (aka gift from God..?)." I don't exactly know how to translate that saying to English, so... yeah. Anyways, marrying him introduced me to a whole different pallet. In many ways similar to other latin cuisines but also different. Not only did I get a full blow introduction into the cuisine but I also got the MIL (Mother in Law) that has the best hand in the game when it comes to cooking.

About two years ago we flew to Puerto Rico with my parents and siblings and while we were there my MIL prepared "Pollo en fricasé" and when I tell you that I've never seen my parents and sisters go for seconds so quick, I mean it!

What is Pollo en Fricasé (What is Chicken Fricassee)?

At first I thought it was just a "pollo guisado (Chicken Stew)" but my mother in law was quick to correct me and shared that it had no tomato sauce or tomato paste and instead was made with beer and some wine. This is apparently the difference between Pollo Guisado and Pollo en Fricase, one has tomato and the other has alcohol! But overall the process of making either is almost the same.

When I came home from that vacation I asked my mother in law for the recipe and tips so that I could make it here. I'd like to think mine is very close to hers and it has become a dish we often make. The last time I made it was about 2 weeks ago for family Sunday lunch/dinner. The first time I made this for a family gathering I didn't make enough so I wanted to make sure this time there were some left overs for me to enjoy the next day.

How to make Pollo en Fricasé (Chicken Fricassee)?

You're going to need chicken, of course! I prefer to use bone in, skinless chicken thighs or chicken drums. However, you can use any part of the chicken you prefer. It's difficult to find chicken thighs with the bone but no skin, normally I buy them with the skin and I remove the skin myself.

Then you need to select the veggies you want to add to this stew. The most common ones used in Puerto Rico are sweet peppers, carrots and potatoes. I choose to add sweet peppers, carrots, potatoes, and zucchini. You can truly add any vegetable you'd like! Lastly you'll need your seasonings and a light beer or red wine. This will give it that touch that separates this stew from any other. One of the most important seasonings is Sofrito, Sofrito is this almost paste made with: garlic, sweet peppers, cilantro, culantro, oregano, olive oil. It's a staple in the Puerto Rican cuisine and in my opinion adds a whole lot of flavor to every dish. Each person makes it with different ratios or slightly different ingredients.

Ingredients

• 4 lbs of bone in chicken: Remhember the bone will carry half of the weight, so this should be enough for 4-6 servings

• 2 tbsp Puerto Rican Sofrito: I make my own but here are some I recommend

• 1 tbsp minced garlic

• Sazon

• Adobo

• Ground black pepper

• Garlic Powder

• 1 tbsp Chicken bouillon

• Salt (Optional)

• 1 tbsp Paprika

• 1 light beer or 1 cup of red wine

• 1 cup water or chicken broth

• Fresh cilantro

• Red, green, yellow or orange sweet peppers

• Vegetables; potato, carrot, zuchini

• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

1. Wash or don't wash your chicken. It's up to you! However I wash it in lime and vinegar water and clean it. I remove the skin and any fat I see.

2. Season your chicken. I always season in layers. Add black pepper, salt, garlic powder, 1/2 tbsp paprika and a bit of adobo and massaged into the chicken. Cover it and let it sit in the fridge for a min of 30 mins. I don't add measurements to some ingredients because it's all about eyeballing and making sure your chicken pieces are evenly coated with the seasonings.

3. In the meantime prepare your vegetables:

   1. Finely chop your sweet peppers and cilantro, you will use these along with the sofrito.

   2. Cut your potatoes and carrots into 1inch pieces and leave in water until ready to use

   3. Cut and separate the zucchini from all other vegetables.I like to add it to the stew at the very end so it won't overcook and get mushy

4. Place your pot on medium heat, the pot should be large enough to fit your chicken and vegetables. Once the pot is hot, add in the olive oil, sofrito, minced garlic, and diced sweet peppers. Let it sear for 2 minutes.

5. Add in your chicken to sear on both sides for 3 minutes each side on medium to high heat. If you are making a big batch you may have to sear by batches, meaning sear a few pieces and then remove from pot. Once all the chicken is seared place it all back in the pot.

6. Now you will add the water or broth, wine, vegetables and the rest of the seasonings. If you want more broth add more water or broth and adjust seasoning. Remember that starchy vegetables consume water and salt. Taste the stew as you go and adjust the seasonings.

7. Let the pot simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes or until chicken reaches internal temperature of 165 degrees and your vegetables are tender.

8. Let is rest for about 30 minutes and serve with white rice and your preferred sides. We served it with white rice, avocado and tostones de pana on the side.

If you enjoy soup or saucy dishes, this is a perfect one for you! I like to get a bowl and drown my white rice in the broth and vegetables. I hope you enjoy this dish and as always if you want to check out day to day recipes follow me on IG or TikTok: @flourishwithg and sign up for our email list.